The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-11-24

vented IHe influx Of tho
Europeans. Our best and most do
sirable immigration is that of NORTH
ern men in place of Europeans. They
come already nine tenths assimilatoi
and the second generation is Southern
FEC OF THE WAR ON WEALTH,
The wealth Of Geogia was, in 1850
1885, 600, 600; in 1860, S672, 900. 600
An increase of over 100 per cent. The
wealth in 1870, after the war, was bnt
greenbacks, S22G,00O, 900; gold, SlS9.
900, 900. At the old rate of increase
the wealth would have been in GOLD
S1,227, 600, 600. That is, over ono
billion of dollars more than it really
was in 1870. What would it not have
been in 1882 What in 1886? The
great States of the Northwest, with
which we were partially keeping pace,
answer the question-our wealth
would have been expressed in billions,
instead of millions.
The reduction of the property of the
white population exceeded $500 per
head, if the decade after 1860 had in.
creased it has that before 1850.
The French indemnity of one billion
Of dollars, levied on 81, 600, 600 of peo-
pie, was less than $50 per head-not
one part in twenty-five Of the relative
loss Of the whites in Georgia, with
l,25O,OOO of people. But we are here,
not to consider the losses Of the war,
nor to complain, but to consider the
long continuance of. the depression
it's causes and remedies. Why are we
so slow in recuperation 4?
The political economists-Mill espe,
cially-taught and confirmed by his.
tory, concur in the view that recupera-
ton after war may and should be
rapid. We have not reached in twenty
years, the state we should have at,
tanned in five or seven years. Though
we had heavy losses of men, we were
not depopulated, and the blacks,
though emancipated, were still here.
The ploughshare of war had stirred
society to it's very depths, carried peo-
pie hundreds of thousands of miles
from home, who otherwise would
never have seen so much of the world
and it's ways, had inverted society as
with a turning-plow-given new ideas,
@rated new strata, and amongst the
consequences, enlarged ideas of life
and the scale Of living, and made it
higher. Thus some good results, as
we'll as evil, vastly predominated, The
war closed in April or May, 1865
just too late for a crop. Thus was one
full gear lost. In 1866, a heavy drought
occurred and the crop was small, but
prices high. Indeed they ranged high
for several years-though the fall in
1867 was fearful.
One remarkable result was that the
lessons of economy learned in the war
were largely lost. Men who were
worth $685. 600, now were worth but
SIS, 900, yet felt as rich as ever. Some
of them had, in 1866, the best income
they ever enjoyed. And SO then was
a establishment of the old scale OF
living. The lessons of economy,
learned slowly were spilled fast and
quick.
At the close of the war there were
no goods, no merchandise, broken
railroads, no bitches, no fences, no
nothing. Everything was to buy
clothes, furniture, blankets-what
not ? But cotton was high and the
people soon spoiled. The lessons OF
economy, however, oon had to be re-
learned, under very hard experience
The people, meanwhile, have con
formed and gone to work-to hard,
downright work-as gallant and
heroic as that of war itself. They
have shown a stamina and pluck
worthy of the highest commentator
Farming is work, not play. Farming
here has cost sweat of brow and BRAIN
and heart. Necessity being the mother
of invention, it has caused mucn
thinking; anxiety has caused mucn
worry of heart. ,f57 &C.,.
Your committee. therefore conclude
that the agriculture of the cotton
States is in a depressed condition, anu
that such condition is SO widespread
long-continued and distressing as 10
demand the most serious coRsldera'
ton, and fully justifying this assem-
blage OF, the representatives OF our
agriculture. The suggestion and avs,
covery. of the causes of this depression
and the proper remedies for the SAM
are well worthy the profoundessefof;s